Grandma Elaine'S Unstuffed Sweet & Sour Cabbage
- 2 lbs green cabbage
- 2 lbs lean ground beef
- 4 medium onions (1 finely chopped 3 sliced)
- 3 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 2 eggs
- 2 tablespoons white rice
- 3 tablespoons water
- 28 ounces canned tomatoes (whole)
- 15 ounces tomato sauce
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar (packed) or 1/2 cup white sugar (packed)
- 1 lemon, juice of
- 1/3 cup raisins ((1/3 to 1/2)
- 1 tablespoon honey ((1 to 2)
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- Use Large Stock Pot and wooden spoon.
- Wash cabbage, cut off core. Cut cabbage in half horizontally. Take core out and cut.
- cabbage in 3 inch chunks.
- Cook sliced onions in oil until translucent.
- Add can of whole tomatoes, stir and chop slightly with spoon. Add tomato sauce, half of salt, half of pepper, and mix.
- Cover and simmer for 20 minutes, stir occasionally so it doesn't burn.
- Then add cabbage and stir and push cabbage down into the sauce.
- Cover pot and continue to simmer approx 1 hour till you can mix cabbage around in the sauce.
- In large bowl mix ground beef with chopped onion, 1 1/2 level teaspoons salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, 2 eggs, rice, and water. Mix well with hands.
- If too mushy, add a little more rice. Form golf ball size meat balls, and then store briefly in refrigerator to get firmer.
- Place meatballs on top of cabbage on sauce. Cover and simmer approx 15 minutes till meatballs feel firm.
- Then gently mix meat balls into sauce. Let pot simmer for approx 45 minutes, then add lemon. Taste for lemon taste, if not add more lemon.
- Then add raisins, honey, and then sugar a little at time to taste. Cook for another 15 minutes, then mix gently, uncover and remove from heat.
- Try not to eat right away so flavors can infuse. Tastes better when eaten the second day, but don't overheat. Only reheat what you will eat at that sitting.
- This freezes well.
green cabbage, lean ground beef, onions, salt, pepper, eggs, white rice, water, tomatoes, tomato sauce, dark brown sugar, lemon, raisins, honey, vegetable oil
Taken from www.food.com/recipe/grandma-elaines-unstuffed-sweet-sour-cabbage-236049 (may not work)